I've been very busy recently and haven't actually played the game for nearly 2 months! As I'm typing I'm realising how ridiculous that sounds because it's not long at all..but I'm used to playing every day, even if only for half an hour!

I loaded up the game about an hour ago and tinkered around just reminding myself where I'd left off. I got back into my favourite neighbourhoods and old families pretty easily, but I'd created a new neighbourhood just before my hiatus (7 families, all with houses I'd spent time building) and because I'd just created them and not really played them I can't really remember what my plans were for them! I'm debating deleting the neighbourhood because I feel like I have too many already and have no idea what I was thinking about how the neighbourhood would progress or anything. On the other hand it might be quite fun?

I suppose this post is just partly to say hello after not being on here for a while, but also to ask how people get back into playing the game and running their sims' lives after a period of time away?

Welcome back.
Well, in a way I'm starting over as well.
I do have a long time running hood, but at the moment I have a problem there and no energy in trying to solve it any further than I have, which apparently solved nothing.
So, I took it out and stuffed it somewhere for another time and reset everything by starting the game and let it create a new sims 2 folder.
I created a new custom hood and a new for now rather small download folder. (In my opinion, that is. )
Three CAS families waiting in the bin, until I gathered the downloads I definitely want to have to start off.
I do not really have a plan with them yet. I just start and see where it goes.

Always take notes when beginning a project. Then when you get back to it, you read through them and get yourself up to speed.

You don't have to delete the thing. Just let it sit for awhile and play the others. Then it'll be there when you want it.

I just booted up my sims 2 after playing sims 3 for a few months. I couldnt get into s3 for some reason. The last straw was realizing that you cant snapobjectstogrid false the paintings...ugh

If you want to spice up some things.... get a die/dice. For every decision you need to make, roll the die/dice.

Do I want twins? Hmmm... Even number, twins it is!

I don't usually play like this, but I could make things more random.

Quote: Originally posted by pizza

I took a hiatus from the game not too long ago and was in a similar situation to you. I found I had to delete that custom neighbourhood and make a brand new one. I am now totally attached to my new neighbourhood and play when I can You may find that you can get attached to the neighbourhood you left, but I couldn't because (like you) I forgot all the ideas I had and felt no attachment to the characters I had created anymore.

Luckily I've been playing Strangetown and Veronaville for years and can get right back into those hoods because I age the sims there very slowly, it is just the brand new one! You've articulated it exactly how I feel - forgetting why I created the characters in the first place means I don't really have an attachment to them - kind of like how I feel with any sims that I feel are pointless in the premade hoods.

Quote: Originally posted by mirjampenning

Welcome back. Well, in a way I'm starting over as well. I do have a long time running hood, but at the moment I have a problem there and no energy in trying to solve it any further than I have, which apparently solved nothing. So, I took it out and stuffed it somewhere for another time and reset everything by starting the game and let it create a new sims 2 folder. I created a new custom hood and a new for now rather small download folder. (In my opinion, that is. ) Three CAS families waiting in the bin, until I gathered the downloads I definitely want to have to start off. I do not really have a plan with them yet. I just start and see where it goes.

Thanks Oh dear, I hope the problem isn't too difficult to solve and you can get back to playing soon!

Quote: Originally posted by Peni Griffin

Always take notes when beginning a project. Then when you get back to it, you read through them and get yourself up to speed. You don't have to delete the thing. Just let it sit for awhile and play the others. Then it'll be there when you want it.

I usually write family and sim bios - but for some reason I didn't write ANY, not even one, for this new hood - no idea why. They usually serve as my project notes (I do keep a running word document for each of the premade and one long-running custom hood, but it's written more as a narrative than notes). That's a good idea - although I might take the hood's folder out of the Neighbourhoods folder just so my game doesn't have any extra lag for something I'm not even playing at the moment

Quote: Originally posted by labellavienna

I just booted up my sims 2 after playing sims 3 for a few months. I couldnt get into s3 for some reason. The last straw was realizing that you cant snapobjectstogrid false the paintings...ugh

Yeah the Sims 2 and Sims 3 are worlds apart, even though they're from the same franchise..the feel of the game is so different. To me TS3 just isn't as magical, although I did try to like it and even bought an expansion. Welcome back to Sims 2!

Quote: Originally posted by xxsoulfire123

If you want to spice up some things.... get a die/dice. For every decision you need to make, roll the die/dice. Do I want twins? Hmmm... Even number, twins it is! I don't usually play like this, but I could make things more random.

Hmm.. I'm not sure that I like playing so randomly. I'm all for spontaneity in game, and like the wacky/zany side of The Sims very much, but only when it happens in-game, not so much when it's engineered. I'll keep that idea in mind though - maybe I could make this neighbourhood into a challenge neighbourhood and try something completely different?

I became ill and had some major abdominal surgery in August. I couldn't even sit up for a while, much less play a computer game, so I didn't get to play my game for a few months. When I could play again, I decided to start a new neighborhood, and I've been playing it pretty steadily since then...although right now I'm doing more CC-purging than anything else. I go through phases like that, where I want to get rid of most of my custom stuff except for a few tried-and-trues. Anyway, after my little hiatus, I just wanted to play the game, not really build stuff or create stuff or what-have-you, so I just started a little BACC with some different rules than I usually use for variety. I've been using downloaded houses instead of building lots myself. I've thrown together a few simple community lots for it, but other than that, I've been enjoying just playing the game, especially enjoying how quickly it moves along compared to, say, the age-modded neighborhood I have. I did keep all my other neighborhoods I had pre-illness and have no intention of deleting them, but I haven't gotten back into playing them again. I'm sure I will, eventually.

Anyway, welcome back, OP. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say.

I'm kinda hoping it is a piece of CC that somehow worked well first but got borked lately. At a certain point I will take the effort of doing a 50/50 all the way all over again. See if I can filter something out that is acting up, but chances also could be the hood has finally met its doom. It got corrupted long ago.
And because yes I want to play and normally, thank you very much instead of being busy with troubleshooting, I started anew and thus ám playing.

I agree with Peni it's a good idea to keep the neighborhood you left off somewhere else for the time being instead of deleting. You put much work into it. Keep it on the shelf. The ideas might come back and then you have a backup to return to.
In the mean time you could just go in and start a new (custom) hood with a fresh sims 2 folder but with your downloads from your old hood.

My idea probably is creating a fourth family and they have come to this hood with their children because the four husbands are going into business together.
So they all live in the same street because that is easier for the planning of the business. Something along this line. We'll see how the eight adults and their children get along.

Oh wow, I hope you're better now?
Absence makes the heart grow fonder..so, so true! Maybe this is a bit sad to admit but since we're among simmer friends here..many times in lectures/writing essays/even when out with friends I have started to daydream about The Sims and plan storylines etc.. I can't help it, it's just such a fun game and a part of my life!

I've heard that even corrupted hoods can play for long lengths of time..I mean look at the pre-made hoods - they're all supposedly corrupt and people have been able to play them for years and years. You might still get issues, but hopefully not to the point of the hood being totally unplayable.

I think I've decided to turn this new neighbourhood - which is called Hazeltown by the way - into a challenge neighbourhood. I've never really done a challenge before so I'm not too sure what I'm going to do yet - any suggestions? I think this will be a fun way to get to know the characters I created, and to give the neighbourhood and the sims there a sense of purpose, a timeline, backstory, and an idea of how things will progress

Icad, I also wish you feeling much better.

Pinimon, note those Sims 2 thoughts down. Then you make room for other necessary things.
And, there is nothing wrong with a bit of daydreaming.

You're right corrupted hoods can go much longer than expected. Mine kept going with minor things for 1,5 years and may still be 'as good as' repairable.
In the mean time I play Cornerhill.
Hazeltown sounds nice.
I suggest you take a look at the sims 2 challenges here on this site. There must be something there that will peak your interest.

Welcome back pinimon162. I always keep notes, but if there were none I think I would just leave the hood and play another and maybe down the road you will remember what you had planned for it.

iCad, hope you are feeling better now.

Thanks, everyone; I am doing much better now. Still healing, but I'm good now.

@pinimon162, regarding challenges: If you've created families already, you might want to play the game Prosperity-challenge style? With that, you usually start with randomly-generated families, but if you've already created them, you can still follow the playing rules. It's a fun challenge. My own general, casual playing style is a mix of Prosperity and Build-A-City with a few other things thrown in. There's always the legacy challenge, too, but that's a bit too focused on the breeding thing for my likings.

I left off playing my main hoods for two years (!!!) So i know how you're feeling in that regard. I spent the time mostly culling & reorganizing my downloads (there was a lot of crap & conflicting cc I had finally had enough putting up with). Now I've only recently returned to WisteriaValley (my Prosperity hood), luckily I was able to find my notes from where I left off so I knew where to start in the rotation.
In regards to what the op was saying about not knowing/remembering his/her orginal plan for a new neighborhood, I'd back iCad's idea (I love the prosperity challenge mixed with a BAC - something I'd wanna try). Or just spend a sim-day or two getting to know the sims you have already placed, a storyline might come to you. The family I just started playing again I remeber not being overly too attached to when I left off. In fact, Savannah really irritated me. She's the eldest daughter of one of the founding families, always came off as an airheaded, shallow snob (yes she's a pixel person, but honestly, meet her! She does not make the best of first/third impressions! ) however, now since I've returned to this hood after so very long & gotten to know her again, I'm kinda rooting for her! Her lot was one I'd leave running while I did the dishes or went for a shower (didn't overly care what happened; just wanted to get thru the sim-week) now I'm paying attention, even lending bit more of a guiding hand (hell, it was for her I built the TownHall so she could have a more interesting wedding, instead of just bland bg version in the kitchen like her partner wanted -he's the only plant-sim in hood & very self-conscious about it). Maybe all this is due to my being gone so long (not that any of my sims noticed) from actually playing...but for whatever reason, I'm glad for the change from original storyline (pretty sure I was just gonna let her basically stagnate till Grim comes for tea).

Ah that's good to hear. I'll look into the Prosperity challenge - I've heard of it but am not quite sure on the rules. I've browsed the challenge area of the forum before but it's just never interested me that much. I have made up my own challenge in the past and just played it out in-game and it was pretty fun, but I had to make a new neighbourhood for it because I didn't want my sim families' lives disturbed haha. So I think Hazeltown might be good for a challenge where it doesn't really matter if things go wrong, because I'm not attached to the families. Yeah I don't think legacy sounds like my style..I hate the rush to have babies in sims games..my sims usually have so much more in their lives than that!

thanks Yeah I really have to start with the notes! If only I had written sim and family bios like I usually do!

Oh wow that's such a long time! Did you sort of 'visit' without playing in that time and look around in-game to remind yourself? Wisteria Valley is a lovely name You must have been very organised to have notes that allowed you to get back into it after 2 years

There's nothing wrong with daydreaming..except when you're meant to be working and are thinking about neighbourhood town planning or the possible genetics of you sims' next born child haha. Yep I'm going to go and have a look at the challenges now and pick one

Hi there, @iCad - glad you are better, hope you will be excellent in no time at all. I am finally getting back into the game myself, having left my old hood when I opted to get UC. First neighbourhood corrupted pretty soon, all due to my own stupidity. I tried to play Viper Canyon without townies, but it does not work for me - I am far too fond of townies and found myself realling missing the familiar faces of Goopy and Orlando and Sandy and Alvin and Meadow - to name a few, then I missed the Al social groups a lot more - so I actually started over again!. In between all of this I have moved, and my daughter is getting married within 3 weeks, so time is pretty limited. I poked around in the other hoods, but not really enjoying them, so I started a new hood again. This is a rather vanilla game, compared to my previous ones, and I have some cc on standby. However - my new hood really took off and I am actually very happy with it! All the bin families are in their new homes which may be architectually less pleasing, but at least they are built to suit my playstyle, and all the relevant Sims are pregnant, with some of the youngsters off to college already. I have accomplished more during a few hours with this hood than I had spending hours on Viper Canyon or the one that got corrupted even before I could start playing it. So I think I am back in

Yikes. Hope you feel better soon. My sims will eat some Grandma's Comfort Soup for you.

I had done bit of a reset (changed the name of the Sims2 folder) to have a clean testing hood, so during myvtime away from my main hoods I didn't visit. Would've been too much of a temptation lol plus I was very leery of opening a lot to discover everyone had maxis hair & furniture missing. I was using a lot of cc, but I was able to remember which ones so that didn't happen when I finally did.

I wasn't at all organized if I had been, cleaning my downloads wouldn't have taken so long I'm really glad that I did keep a note book for my challenges/hoods (had never played such large hoods before so I was getting "lost" before). But thank you for the compliment

I really like the townies too - sometimes I feel like the only one who does! But they're so familiar, it's nice to see them around Your new hood sounds like it's prospering, and you sound like you're enjoying it which is the main thing

Ah I see. I spend so much time organising my neighbourhoods anyway.. I really like the town to look a certain way in the layout. It makes me quite glad that I never got to the point of having more than a few bits of cc..I'm very limited and most of what I use are small fixes and random bits of furniture or decorations for the sims houses or I'd be forever trying to organise. Good thinking with the notebook though!

Just a quick update after everyone's suggestions.. I'm using Hazelwood to carry out a few different challenges that I've made myself. They're based on the ones from the challenge section on mts2, but with a few variations (I don't like counting challenge scores, I'm using them just as a method of playing). So far I'm really enjoying the neighbourhood, and am getting quite attached to especially one of the families there - so much so that I'm thinking of moving them to my Riverside neighbourhood! (obviously not moving moving - recreating)

Congrats! I too am in college right now, and until I started fall quarter, I didn't have access to a computer that would TS2-friendly. As for getting back into your old hood, maybe reevaluate the families, and create new stories for them since you can't remember what you meant to do with them before? Start off slow though and allow yourself to ease back into controlling them, because hopping back into the game after a long time can make it difficult to run their lives efficiently.